Rotary toothbrush



M. c. sRouf ETAL 2,285,505

June 9, 1942.

v ROTARY TOOTHBRUSIH Filed July 15, 1940 Mm WW4 Patented June 9, 1942 1 ROTARY TOOTHBRUSH Melvin C. Grout and Marion E. Frost, Springfield, Ohio Application July 15, 1940, Serial No. 345,638

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to improvements in rotary toothbrushes.

An important object of the invention resides in the provision of a rotary toothbrush embodying a water motor whereby the brush may be driven from an ordinary water tap or faucet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rotary toothbrush including a casing and housing of novel formation, the casing serving as a handle for the toothbrush and the housing confining the water motor with a shaft extending through the casing and attached by novel means on one end to the water motor and the other end thereof removably supporting the brush element.

The invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of theseveral parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing our invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a rotary toothbrush in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view thereof taken substantially on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Figure 4 with the water motor removed from the housing.

Referring to the drawing for a more detailed description thereof, the rotary toothbrush embodying the features of the present invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 8 and comprises a substantially cylindrical-shaped casing 9 preferably formed of a-plastic material. The interior of the casing 9 is formed with a longitudinally disposed passage ID for housing a shaft II, said shaft being preferably fabricated of bronze or similar material. The shaft H is journalled in bushings l2 and I3 secured in each end of the longitudinal passage Ill. The bushings I3 surrounding the shaft adjacent the water motor are separated by means of a resilient packing ring [4.

The housing for the motor is generally designated by the reference numeral l5 and likewise is preferably formed of a plastic material. The housing 15 is frictionally held on a collar portion l6 forming a part of the casing 9 and by referring more particularly to Figure 2 of the drawing, it will be observed that the end of the casing adjacent the housing l5 is flared outwardly as indicated at I! and that the collar I6 is a reduced portion of the flared end H. The interior of the housing I5 is hollow as indicated at I8 for confining the water motor 19, the diameter of the opening I8 being substantially equal to the diameter of the collar Hi. The water motor I9 is arranged to revolve within the housing [5 and is keyed to the shaft I I. As more clearly shown in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawing, the end 20 of the shaft II is flattened and tapers outwardly so as to be securely held within the opening 2l formed centrally of the water motor l9 which opening corresponds in shape and size to the fiattened end 20. The water motor l9 comprises a disk-shaped wheel 22 having a series of vanes 23 integral with and projecting from the periphery thereof. The wheel 22 is prevented from contact with the end of the collar l6 and the end wall 26 of the opening l8 by means of the bushing I3 and pin 25. The pin 25 forms a part of the housing l5 and extends a slight distance within the opening 3 while the outermost bushing l3 also extends a slight distance within the opening I8. The pin 25 bears on one side of the wheel 22 while the bushing l3 bears on the opposite side of said wheel thus maintaining the wheel properly centered within the opening to prevent axial movement thereof when revolving.

The housing I5 is adapted to be attached to any ordinary water tap or faucet for supplying water to the interior of the housing to rotate the wheel 22. Inlet and outlet openings 26 and 21 respectively, are formed in the bottom wall of the housing l5, the inlet opening being interiorly threaded for the attachment of a fitting 28, said fitting receiving one end of a hose or the like 29, the other end of said hose being attached to the water tap or faucet. A passageway 30 communicates with the inlet opening 26, said passageway communicating with the opening 32 whereby the passage of water therethrough will contact the vanes 23 for revolving the wheel 22 and its shaft II. The water is discharged from the housing through the passageway 3| which communicates with the outlet opening 21. It will be observed in Figure 4 of the drawing that the end of the passageway which communicates with the opening I8 is reduced in diameter as indicated at 32 for restricting the stream of water being discharged against the vanes 23.

The outer end of the shaft II is formed with a threaded opening 33 for receiving the threaded end 34 of a toothbrush 35 whereby interchanging of the brushes can be readily accomplished. It is, of course, to be understood that brushes other than toothbrushes can be attached to the shaft II.

It is believed that the mode of operation of the device will be readily understood, and it will be seen that when the device is in use the brush 35 will be revolved at a desired rate of speed thus adapting it to exert a proper cleansing action. The speed of rotation of the brush can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the pressure of water supplied to the motor [9 from the tap or faucet. The manifold advantages of the invention will be evident from the foregoing description when considered with the accompanying drawing.

Also it will be understood, of course, by those skilled in the art that variations in the hereinabove described device involving the substitution of substantial equivalents for the devices described are intended to be comprehended within the spirit of the present invention and that the invention is capable of extended application and is not-confined to the exact showing of the drawing nor to the precise construction described and, therefore, such changes and modifications may be made therein as do not affect the spirit of the invention nor exceed the scope thereof as expressed in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a device of the character described, a casing having a longitudinal bore, the interior of the casing being enlarged at each end portion to provide counter-bore sections of increased diameter, a bushing sleeve fitted in the counter-bore in the outer portion of the casing, a pair of relatively short bushing sleeves mounted in the counter-bore in the opposite end portion of the casing and disposed in longitudinally spaced relation, a packing ring fitted in the said counterbore between the said spaced bushing sleeves, a housing at one end of the said casing forming a chamber therein, the said housing having inlet and outlet passages, a shaft rotatably extended through the bore of the casing and journaled in the bushing sleeves mounted therein, a brush member connected to the outer end of the said shaft, and a fluid operated wheel fixed on the opposite end of the shaft and rotatably mounted in the chamber of the housing.

MELVIN C. GROUT. MARION E. FROST. 

